Vespa (horse)

Last updated
Vespa
Vespa and Sir Mark Wood.jpg
Vespa with her owner Sir Mark Wood by John Frederick Herring, Sr.
Sire Muley
Grandsire Orville
DamMiss Wasp
Damsire Waxy
Sex Mare
Foaled1830
Country United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour Brown
Breeder Sir Mark Wood, 2nd Baronet
OwnerSir Mark Wood
TrainerH Scott
Record10:5-2-1
Major wins
Oaks Stakes (1833)
Oatlands Stakes (1834)
King's Plate at Newmarket (1834)
Jockey Club Plate (1834)
King's Plate at Chelmsford (1834)

Vespa (foaled 1830) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1833. The filly's win at Epsom, a 50/1 upset, was the only success in her first two seasons of racing. She produced her best form as a four-year-old when she won four times, including three important races at Newmarket Racecourse. At the end of her British racing career she was sold and exported to Hungary.

Contents

Background

Vespa was a brown mare with a white star and one white foot, bred by her owner Sir Mark Wood. [1] Her sire Muley was a son of the Derby-winning mare Eleanor, and won two races as a five-year-old at Newmarket in 1815. His early stud career was disappointing and he had been covering half-bred mares for some time before being relocated to Underley Hall in Westmorland where he had considerable success. In addition to Vespa, he sired the Classic winners Margrave (St Leger) and Little Wonder (Epsom Derby). [2] Vespa's dam, Miss Wasp, had previously produced the 1817 2000 Guineas winner Manfred. Miss Wasp was twenty-three years old when Vespa was foaled [3] and died four years later.

Racing career

1832: two-year-old season

Until 1913 there was no requirement for British racehorses to have names, [4] and many horses were known by the name of their owner or their pedigree. The filly who would become known as Vespa began her racing career as "Sir M. Wood's br. f. by Muley, out of Miss Wasp" in the Clearwell Stakes at Newmarket on 17 October. She was not among the favourites and finished unplaced behind Lord Orford's colt Clearwell who went on to win the following season's 2000 Guineas. [5]

1833: three-year-old season

Sir Mark Wood named his filly Vespa ( Latin for Wasp) before the start of the 1833 season. She made her first appearance of the year on 25 April when he contested the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket. She was well-fancied for the race, starting 5/2 second favourite and finished third of the ten runners behind Tarantella and Falernia. [6] On 24 May Vespa was moved up in distance to contest the Oaks Stakes at Epsom. The race attracted a field of nineteen runners, with Tarantella being made 2/1 favourite, whilst Vespa was ignored in the market and started at odds of 50/1. Ridden by Jem Chapple, Vespa was always well-placed before moving up to contest the lead a furlong from the finish. With most of the other fillies dropping back, Vespa and the Duke of Grafton's filly Octave contested the closing stages "with much severity" [7] before the outsidiled by a neck, with Revelry in third and Tarantella unplaced. [8] She became the longest-priced winner of the race and her odds were not equaled until Jet Ski Lady won at 50/1 in 1991.

Vespa did not race again until the autumn meetings at Newmarket. In a match race over the Ditch Mile course on 15 October, she was beaten by John Forth's filly Marpessa for a prize of 200 guineas. [9] On 30 October she ran in a ten furlong handicap race in which she carried a weight of 111 pounds and finished fourth of the eight runners behind Revelry. [10]

1833: four-year-old season

Vespa remained in training as a four-year-old and began her third season at Newmarket's Craven meeting on 15 April. Contesting the Oatlands Stakes a handicap race over the two-mile "Ditch In" course, she started at odds of 8/1 and won from the Duke of Portland's horse Trustee, with the unplaced horses including the Oaks and Ascot Gold Cup winner Galata. [11] At the next Newmarket meeting, Vespa was moved up in distance to run in a King's Plate for female horses over the three and a half mile Round Course. Ridden by Jem Chapple she defeated her two opponents, Chantilly and Revelry very easily ("almost in a canter"). [12] [13] On 15 May Vespa was entered for the Jockey Club Plate, a race over the four mile Beacon Course which was restricted to horses owned by members of the Jockey Club. When no other horses appeared to oppose her, Vespa was allowed to walk over the course to claim the prize. [14]

Vespa's winning run ended at the Newmarket July meeting where she was ridden by Jem Robinson and started odds-on favourite for a £50 weight-for-age race over the Ditch-In course. Robinson left his challenge very late and despite finishing very strongly the filly was beaten a head [15] by the Duke of Rutland's Amadillo, a three-year-old colt. [16] In July, Vespa raced away from Newmarket for the first time since her Oaks win when he was sent to Chelmsford Racecourse in Essex. Her objective was a King's Plate run in a series of two-mile heats, with the prize going to the first horse to win twice. She won the first heat against her rival Infatuation, and claimed the prize when her opponent was withdrawn from the second heat. [17]

Stud record

Vespa was sold to Count József Hunyady de Kéthely in October 1834 and exported to Hungary. She never returned and none of her foals were recorded by the British General Stud Book. [1]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Vespa (GB), brown mare, 1830 [18]
Sire
Muley (GB)
1810		 Orville
1799		Beningbrough King Fergus
Fenwick's Herod mare
Evelina Highflyer
Teramagant
Eleanor
1798		Whiskey Saltram
Calash
Young Giantess Diomed
Giantess
Dam
Miss Wasp (GB)
1807		 Waxy
1790		 Potoooooooo Eclipse
Sportsmistress
Maria Herod
Lisette
Trumpetta
1789		 Trumpator Conductor
Brunette
PeggyHerod
Snap mare (Family:10) [3]

Related Research Articles

Zinc (1820–1840) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare, which in 1818 became the third filly to win both the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse and the Oaks at Epsom Downs Racecourse. As a three-year-old in 1823 she won three of her five starts, with her defeats coming against the classic-winning colts Nicolo and Emilius. She won both her races in 1824 but failed to win as a five-year-old in 1825 and was retired from racing.

Zeal was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare, which won the eighth running of the classic 1000 Guineas. As a three-year-old in 1821 won she won her first three races at Newmarket Racecourse including the 1000 Guineas but then finished fourth in The Oaks. As a four-year-old she walked over in the valuable Port Stakes but was beaten in her only other race. She later had a successful career as a broodmare.

Whizgig (1819–1840) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1822. In a racing career which lasted from April 1822 until May 1824 she ran fourteen times and won seven races. Unraced as a two-year-old, Whizgig won six of her seven races in 1822, her only defeat coming in the Oaks Stakes. She remained in training for a further two seasons, but was less successful, winning only one more race. She later became a successful broodmare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minuet (horse)</span> British Thoroughbred racehorse

Minuet (1812–1833) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1815. In a racing career which lasted from July 1814 until October 1817 she competed twenty-one times, winning nine races and being placed on a further ten occasions. On her only race in 1814, she won the July Stakes, one of the year's most important races for two-year-olds. In the following year she finished second in the 1000 Guineas on her debut and then won her next three races including the Oaks. Minuet stayed in training for two further seasons, winning five more races including a victory over a strong field in the all-aged Trial Stakes in September 1816. After her retirement from racing she had some success as a broodmare, breeding several winners.

Pastille was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won two British Classic Races. In a career which lasted from April 1822 until November 1824, she won eight of her thirteen races and was placed second or third in the other five. On her second racecourse appearance in she became the first filly to win the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and went on to win the Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse a month later. She won once as a four-year-old in 1823 and was unbeaten in three starts in 1824. After her retirement from racing she had some success as a broodmare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxygen (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Oxygen was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1831. In a racing career which lasted from July 1830 until April 1833 she won eight of her fifteen races and finished second on five occasions. Oxygen's Oaks was the last of twenty classic wins for her owner George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton.

Young Mouse (1826–1843) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the sixteenth running of the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1829. In a racing career which lasted from May 1829 until July 1830 the filly ran six times and won three races. Young Mouse won the 1000 Guineas on her first competitive appearance and then ran unplaced in the Oaks Stakes before winning two match races at Newmarket in autumn. She was retired from racing after a single, unsuccessful run as a four-year-old. Young Mouse was later exported to France where she had some success as a broodmare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte West (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Charlotte West was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the seventeenth running of the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1830. In a racing career which lasted from April 1830 until May 1831 the filly ran seven times and won four races. After winning the 1000 Guineas on her second racecourse appearance, Charlotte West was beaten when favourite for the Oaks Stakes but returned to win races at Ascot and Newmarket before the end of the year. She failed to reproduce her best form in 1831 and was retired from racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galata (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Galata (1829–1848) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won two British Classic Races in 1831 and the Ascot Gold Cup a year later. In a racing career which lasted from April 1832 until June 1834 the filly ran ten times and won seven races. As a three-year-old in 1832 she won her first four races including the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse and the Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse. In the following year she was unbeaten in two races, winning the Port Stakes at Newmarket and the Gold Cup at Ascot. She was retired to stud after two unsuccessful starts in 1834.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarine</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Camarine was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. After finishing second on her only start as a two-year-old, Camarine was undefeated for the next three years, winning thirteen consecutive races at distances ranging from five furlongs to two and a half miles. Her dominance over her contemporaries was compared to that of Eclipse sixty years earlier.

May-day was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1834. On her only subsequent start she was fatally injured in the Oaks Stakes at Epsom.

Tarantella was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1833. After winning the Guineas in her third race, Tarantella was unplaced when favourite for the Oaks Stakes and was well-beaten in two other races later that year. She won two minor races in the following year and was retired from racing having won four times from nine starts between October 1832 and August 1834. She was later exported to France where she proved to be a successful broodmare.

Chapeau d'Espagne was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1837. Chapeau d'Espagne was one of the best two-year-old fillies of 1836, when she won the Criterion Stakes and was placed in both the Molecomb Stakes and the Clearwell Stakes. In the following year she won the 1000 Guineas and finished second in the Oaks Stakes. After failing to win again in 1837 she returned as a four-year-old to win four more races. In all she ran twenty-two times between July 1836 and October 1838, winning eight races. After her retirement from racing she had some success as a broodmare.

Destiny was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1836. In a racing career which lasted from September 1835 until April 1837, the filly raced eleven times and won three times. Destiny's only competitive victories came at the First Spring meeting at Newmarket in 1836, when she won a Sweepstakes and the 1000 Guineas: her only other success was a walkover at Lincoln Racecourse that autumn. Although she finished second in The Oaks never finished worse than third in her career, she was regarded as a sub-standard classic winner. She made little impression at stud.

Sorcery was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1811. In a racing career which lasted from April 1811 to July 1814 the filly ran twenty-six times, winning twelve races and finishing placed on eleven occasions. Sorcery won the Oaks on her third racecourse appearance and went on to win other important races including the Epsom Gold Cup, the Trial Stakes, two editions of the Oatlands Stakes, a King's Plate and several match races. After her retirement from racing she became a successful broodmare, being the dam of the 1828 Epsom Derby winner Cadland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuella</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Manuella was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1812. Unraced as a two-year-old, the Northern-trained filly was fancied to win The Derby on her racecourse debut but finished unplaced. She won the Oaks a day later, but was beaten when favourite for the St Leger Stakes. She won two more races and changed hands more than once before being retired from racing at the end of the 1814 season. She was a successful and influential broodmare, whose direct descendants have won many important races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medora (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Medora (1811–1835) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1814. In a racing career which lasted from April 1814 to May 1816, she ran thirteen times, won four races, and twice "received forfeit" when her opponent did not appear for a scheduled match race. Unraced as a two-year-old, Medora produced her best form in the first half of 1814, she finished third in the inaugural 1000 Guineas, won the Oaks and then claimed two races at Royal Ascot. She remained in training for two more seasons but was less successful, winning only one competitive race. She was retired to stud where she became a highly successful and influential broodmare, whose direct descendants won many major races throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Landscape (1813–1834) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare that won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1816. The filly's entire racing career consisted of one run in 1815 followed by three races in the space of thirteen days in June 1816. After winning the Oaks on her second racecourse appearance, she finished first and second in races at Ascot. Already pregnant at the time of her classic success, Landscape was retired from racing after Ascot and produced her first foal in the following spring.

Variation (1827–1847) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare that achieved success in the racing world. In 1830, Variation made her racing debut by winning the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse. Throughout her career, she participated in fifteen races and emerged victorious in eight of them. Her achievements included three match races, the Oatlands Stakes, and two editions of the Garden Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. One of her notable victories came in the 1831 Garden Stakes, where she triumphed over a formidable field across a two-mile distance. Following her racing career, Variation retired in 1833 and subsequently displayed promise as a broodmare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margrave (British horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Margrave (1829–1852) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the St Leger Stakes in 1832. In a racing career which lasted from June 1831 until April 1833 he ran ten times and won six races. He was one of the leading British two-year-olds of 1831, when his three wins included the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket and he was one of the favourites for the following year's British Classic Races. He finished fourth in The Derby, allegedly being held back to allow another of his owner's horses to win. In autumn he won the St Leger and the Grand Duke Michael Stakes but ran poorly on his only race as a four-year-old the following spring. He was then retired to stud where he had some success as a sire of winners in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 Charles and James Weatherby (1840). The General stud book. Vol. 4. C Reynell. p. 305. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  2. ↑ Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred Heritage. "Muley". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  3. 1 2 "Fair Helen - Family 10". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  4. ↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN   0-85112-902-1.
  5. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1833). Racing calendar. 1832. C & W Reynell. p. 213. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  6. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1834). Racing calendar. 1833. C & W Reynell. p. 27. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  7. ↑ The Spectator. Vol. 6. Gustavus Arabin. 1833. p. 468. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
  8. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1834). Racing calendar. 1833. C & W Reynell. p. 53. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  9. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1834). Racing calendar. 1833. C & W Reynell. p. 211. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  10. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1834). Racing calendar. 1833. C & W Reynell. p. 223. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  11. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1835). Racing calendar. 1834. C & W Reynell. p. 16. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  12. ↑ Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1834). M A Pittman. 1834. p. 101. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  13. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1835). Racing calendar. 1834. C & W Reynell. p. 24. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  14. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1835). "Racing calendar. 1834". C & W Reynell. p. 36. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  15. ↑ Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1834). M A Pittman. 1834. p. 333. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  16. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1835). Racing calendar. 1834. C & W Reynell. p. 84. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  17. ↑ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1835). Racing calendar. 1834. C & W Reynell. p. 97. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  18. ↑ "Vespa pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.